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  BTS Comeback D-8: Concert economy visible across Gwanghwamun accommodations SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) — Hotel rooms with views overlooking Gwanghwamun Square were the first to sell out and are still sought at steep premiums as foreign fans treat BTS’s upcoming comeback concert as a once-in-a-lifetime event. “Some foreign guests ask if they can rent the hotel’s rooftop pool area to watch the concert. Some even say they’re willing to pay a rental fee as a group,” said Kim Kyllian, a manager at Somerset Palace Seoul near Gwang March 13, 2026
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  Coupang's interim chief volunteers for overnight delivery SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - Harold Rogers, Coupang's interim chief in South Korea, volunteered to participate in a dawn delivery at its logistics center on the outskirts of Seoul early Friday. Rogers visited the center near Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province, where he helped load goods and deliver orders alongside workers. His visit became known after photos were posted on social media by a person believed to be a staffer, and the e-commerce giant confirmed that Rogers visited March 13, 2026
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  Iran war offers lesson and warning for Asia's U.S. allies SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - As the war in Iran stretches longer and wider than expected, security analysts are increasingly applying its battlefield dynamics to other flashpoints — raising concerns among Asian countries that host U.S. military bases. For some strategists, Iran’s retaliatory missile and drone strikes on American facilities across the Middle East offer a preview of how a future conflict in the Taiwan Strait could unfold — and how Washington’s Asian March 13, 2026
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  BTS Comeback D-8: Downtown Seoul turns into a city-scale stage  SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) — Towering buildings along Gwanghwamun are wrapped in giant BTS banners and purple-lit billboards as downtown Seoul gears up for the group’s long-awaited comeback concert next week. Across the historic boulevard, the capital is already shifting into concert mode. Restaurants are fielding bulk reservations, retailers are expanding merchandise displays and convenience stores are stacking drinks and ready-to-eat meals as fans begin arriving from acro March 13, 2026
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  Gwanghwamun redresses to play the host for BTS show SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) -An electronic billboard near Gwanghwamun Square flashes the announcement: BTS is coming back. The towering digital screen lights up the intersection in central Seoul with promotions for “BTS Comeback Live: ARIRANG,” the group’s highly anticipated concert scheduled for March 21 — just eight days away. Around the historic square, the city is already wearing the band’s colors. Towering buildings along the Gwanghwamun boulevar March 13, 2026
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  Washington slaps another Section 301 probe on South Korea SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) -South Korea has been drawn into another U.S. trade investigation as Washington launched a new probe under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 targeting forced-labor imports, only a day after opening a sweeping investigation into global manufacturing overcapacity. The back-to-back actions suggest the United States is assembling multiple Section 301 cases in an effort to rebuild the legal basis for tariffs after the U.S. Supreme Court recently struck down a key March 13, 2026
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  BTS Comeback D-8: Gwanghwamun's oldest residents - a Joseon king and admiral SEOUL, March 12 (AJP) - At the heart of Seoul stands Gwanghwamun Square, often called the symbolic center of South Korea. The broad boulevard stretching from the ancient gates of Gyeongbokgung Palace has witnessed centuries of history — from the royal administration of the Joseon Dynasty to modern civic gatherings. Next Saturday, the historic square will host another moment in that long timeline: a comeback performance by global K-pop group BTS. March 13, 2026
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  Korea's crackers edges toward shutdown as Hormuz blockade chokes naphtha supply SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - South Korea's petrochemical plants are rapidly running out of naphtha as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz cuts off a major supply route, forcing producers to declare force majeure and slash operating rates to bare-minimum levels to avoid a full shutdown that could ripple through the country's manufacturing economy. Yeocheon NCC, LG Chem, Lotte Chemical and Hanwha Solutions have all warned customers of potential force majeure on product deliveries. March 13, 2026
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  Korea's M2 rise picks up in Jan as stock invest and dollar savings pile up SEOUL, Mar 13 (AJP) —South Korea’s M2 money supply grew at a faster pace in January than previous months on strong stock market and U.S.-dollar-denominated savings on expectations of continued greenback strength. According to a Bank of Korea (BOK) release on Friday, the M2 money supply grew 0.7 percent month-on-month in January to reach 4,108.9 trillion won ($2.83 trillion). Under the previous M2 standard (used prior to November statistics), the figure rose 1.2 perc March 13, 2026
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  North Korea-China passenger train resumes service ahead of Trump's visit to Beijing SEOUL, March 13 (AJP) - A passenger train linking North Korea and China arrived in Beijing on Friday, resuming service for the first time in six years shortly after Pyongyang closed its border due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The train, which departed Pyongyang at around 10:30 a.m. the previous day, arrived at a railway station in Beijing the next morning after its lengthy journey of about 25 hours. Another passenger train from Beijing to Pyongyang also departed at a March 13, 2026